let's take the concept of sociopaths, for example. it is said that a sociopath is someone without a conscience. but that's not possible, is it? only a demon or somehting unhuman can be without a conscience. so isnt anybody who buys into the concept of sociopathology venturing into heretical territory? isnt psycology and psychonanalysis junk science and incompatible with the catholic mind?

A broken mind can make for a broken conscience. Conscience works by thinking, and if you don't think properly, your conscience will be ill-formed.

Like if you have Alzheimer's and can't remember. It is difficult if not impossible to have conscience when one lacks memory.

The Catholic problem with psychology is that it ignores the soul and concentrates only on the mind; it treats humans in the same manner as animals - everything is stimulus and response, for example. Those models are not wrong, but they're not complete either.

I would think that a sociopath would be a person in whom the natural law is imprinted, but has been so fundamentally damaged that he has essentially muffled his conscience. After all, most sociopaths at least have the fundamental understanding that the rest of the world understands right and wrong, so they at least have to pretend to do play by the rules...

Psychology can be useful when handled properly, i.e. by a real believing, practicing CATHOLIC psychiatrist or psychotherapist. Historically, beginning with Freud many "shrinks" had no use for religion or religious people. Fortunately, they are not all like that. I have friends who have been to good Catholic therapists and they were happy with the experience. The trick is finding one that is Catholic or at least respectful of religious beliefs. http://www.catholictherapists.com/

(11-01-2010, 04:10 PM)icecream Wrote: let's take the concept of sociopaths, for example. it is said that a sociopath is someone without a conscience. but that's not possible, is it? only a demon or somehting unhuman can be without a conscience. so isnt anybody who buys into the concept of sociopathology venturing into heretical territory? isnt psycology and psychonanalysis junk science and incompatible with the catholic mind?

No. They still have free will when they have reason.

A sociopath is just doesn't have the "feelings" which restrict choices. This is why Jesus says that holding anger in one's heart, or looking with lust, is just as bad as murder and adultery. The sin is what we choose, not just what we do.

Being held back by mere psychological factors (like most people) is not morality. A sociopath just acts on what everyone else is capable of feeling, so their sin is the same as the averege person. They can control themselves just like everyone else and it is their choices which matter.

The average sociopath is a criminal in most studies...this says a lot about everyone.

(11-01-2010, 04:23 PM)QuisUtDeus Wrote: In a word, no, but there is a lot of junk psychology out there.

A broken mind can make for a broken conscience. Conscience works by thinking, and if you don't think properly, your conscience will be ill-formed.

Like if you have Alzheimer's and can't remember. It is difficult if not impossible to have conscience when one lacks memory.

The Catholic problem with psychology is that it ignores the soul and concentrates only on the mind; it treats humans in the same manner as animals - everything is stimulus and response, for example. Those models are not wrong, but they're not complete either.

should a catholic only trust a catholic psychiatrist? should you tell deep secrets to psychiatrist? what if you decide to run for political office and your former psychiatirts doesn't like your politics. cant he/she just leak your secrets to the press?

on a related note, if you go to a psychiatrists is there a time limit where they have to destory your records or are your secrets filed away somewhere forever?

(11-02-2010, 06:04 AM)icecream Wrote: should a catholic only trust a catholic psychiatrist? should you tell deep secrets to psychiatrist? what if you decide to run for political office and your former psychiatirts doesn't like your politics. cant he/she just leak your secrets to the press?

on a related note, if you go to a psychiatrists is there a time limit where they have to destory your records or are your secrets filed away somewhere forever?

As I understand it, doctor-patient confidentiality is treated the same as priest-penitent confidentiality in the eyes of (at least American) law. A psychiatrist who broke that would at the very least lose his or her license to practice.